Battery element containing porous particles

Abstract

A battery element comprising a porous substrate optionally having a coating of electrically conductive tin oxide on at least a portion of all three dimensions thereof. The porous substrate is useful in the positive active material of lead acid batteries.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A battery element useful as at least a portion of the positive plate in a lead acid battery, comprising a plurality of acid resistant three-dimensional porous particles having sulfuric acid electrolyte contained in the pores of said porous particles and a positive active material, provided that at least a portion of said porous particles are incorporated into said material and said porosity allows for participation of the sulfuric acid electrolyte contained in the pores of said particles during discharge of the positive active material. 
     
     
       2. The element of claim 1 wherein said particles have a bulk particle density of from about 3% to about 85%. 
     
     
       3. The element of claim 2 wherein said particles have a bulk particle density of from about 10% to about 70%. 
     
     
       4. The element of claim 1 wherein said particles have a pore volume of from about 0.4 cc/gm to about 5 cc/gm. 
     
     
       5. The element of claim 4 wherein the pore volume is from about 0.4 cc/gm to about 3.5 cc/gm. 
     
     
       6. The element of claim 1 wherein said particles have a macroporosity of about 5% to about 80%. 
     
     
       7. The element of claim 1 wherein said particles have a porosity of from about 20% to about 92%. 
     
     
       8. The element of claim 1 wherein said particles are inorganic. 
     
     
       9. The element of claim 8 wherein said particles are further coated with an additional component. 
     
     
       10. The element of claim 9 wherein the coating contains a fluoride doped electrically conductive tin oxide on at least a majority portion of the outer surface of all three dimensions thereof and a limited coating on the open internal pore surfaces of said particles and said particles are an inorganic oxide. 
     
     
       11. The element of claim 8 wherein said particles are selected from the group consisting of glass, ceramic and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       12. The element of claim 11 wherein said particles are an inorganic oxide. 
     
     
       13. The element of claim 12 wherein said particles contains silica and have increased acid resistance relative to E glass. 
     
     
       14. The element of claim 7 wherein said particles are inorganic and contains silica and have increased acid resistance relative to E glass. 
     
     
       15. The element of claim 1 wherein said particles are organic. 
     
     
       16. The element of claim 15 wherein said particles are selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin, a polyvinyl polymer, a phenol formaldehyde polymer, a polyester, a polyvinylester, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       17. The element of claim 15 wherein said particles are further coated with an additional component. 
     
     
       18. The element of claim 16 wherein said particles are selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin a polyvinyl ester and polyester. 
     
     
       19. The element of claim 18 wherein said particles are a polyolefin and the polyolefin is polypropylene.